Page 8 of Call of the Ride
This is NOT what she wants.
I reached across Vasi and snatched Anthia’s ridiculously large sunglasses before gently placing them in my witch’s hands. Waiting until she’d put them on, I opened the door and climbed out, using my much larger frame to shield her as I did the talking.
“Why, thank you for the warm welcome to your lovely city,” I cooed in my best impression of my father at a press conference, drawing their attention my way. Several of the younger staff members eyed me hungrily, so I turned up the accent and charm while Tan hustled Vasi past the firing squad. “Miss Vasilisa is extremely tired after her long journey, so if asingleporter could immediately show us to our rooms, it would be much appreciated. You may send up these gifts shortly—along with brunch and an assortment of organic bath products—but please, be discreet.”
Anthia gave me a long, appraising look that ended in what could almost be mistaken for respect. I shrugged in reply before grabbing some bags and following the porter inside after Vasi and Tan. Thanks to my entitled upbringing, I knew how to command a room by pretending to be the most important asshole in it until everyone else agreed with you.
And that most women love organic bath products.
I was hopelessly in love with Vasi, and the shitty hand life had dealt her made her even more deserving of being pampered. The problem was, I didn’t knowwhatto spoil her with.
Vasi was a folklore witch who happily lived deep in the wilderness with few possessions and no running water. She grew her own food and baked, but that seemed more of a survival necessity than a hobby. And although there was a loom in the hut, I’d never seen her touch it—at least not with us crowding her personal space.
I was determined to show Vasi how to take full advantage of everything life had to offer, but only in ways she wouldn’t see as frivolous. She’d appreciated the dress and jewelry Anthia gave her at Harbison’s séance, but I wouldn’t dare pick out something like that on my own. With a smile, I remembered we’d be seeing Tan’s mother while we were here. If anyone needed a daughter to fuss over, it was the woman who had 13 sons.
Including one created with a god, apparently...
I banished my suspicions onthatsubject as Tan’s lilting voice rang out from the bedroom of our suite. “Fruit winders and Squirty Cream?! Oha! This minibar has all my favorite snacks. Well,almostall of my favorites…” Vasi’s surprised yelp and Tan’s answering laugh told me we probably weren’t going anywhere for a while.
Handing the porter a hefty tip from the pile of cash Vasi had haphazardly left on the desk, I quickly ushered him out the door. He’d impressed me with how unconcerned he seemed at overhearing an old woman being pawed at by a much,muchyounger man. I didn’t dwell on it for long, as so much lust was stampeding down my bond, I could barely think straight. Even being in a relationship with a horndog like Tan hadn’t prepared me for how much—and how often—I wanted my witch, along with him.
Stripping off my clothes, I entered the bedroom, groaning at the sight of Vasi spread open on the bed with Tan nose-deep in her pussy. Yes, my dick was throbbing, but my heart was also aching to be as close to them as possible.
I was self-aware enough to realize this blind desire was partly because of our fated mates connection, but that didn’t account for all of it. Tan had shown me what it truly meant to care for another person, including the parts they desperately tried to hide, so I knew my feelings for Vasi went beyond the physical. Along with him, she owned every inch of me. She owned my undying love, the deadly powers I’d acquired since becoming her Rider, and the deepest, most damaged chambers of my soul. Everything I was belonged to her.
And I won’t rest until she knows how worthy of this devotion she is.
Chapter 7
Vasilisa
Ashrill, mechanical tune roused me from a dreamless sleep. I nestled deeper into the cloud-like hotel bed, surrounded by countless plush pillows and a velvet comforter in a rich, forest green that immediately reminded me of home.
The naked, horned men are a nice touch as well.
Our suite was most satisfactory, with an antique, jewel-box decor that mimicked my favorite nooks in the palace. The green and gold brocade drapes surrounding the bed were partially closed to keep out the late afternoon light, but I could spy the remains of our meal on the terrace. I smiled, remembering how Asa had ordered what felt like every item on the menu, watching me eat so closely, I wondered if he’d been taking notes.
It wasn’t unusual for my Beautiful Sun to be so attentive, although I didn’t know what I’d done to earn his devotion. All three of my men had claimed I deserved to be treated like a queen, but why, exactly? I was simply a human from wretched beginnings who somehow became a witch and repeatedly stumbled upon strange twists of fate. My only claim to royalty was when I caught the Tsar’s eye—first because of my weaving, then my beauty, but never for anything deeper than that. And that reign was doomed from the start. In the end, my husband found me easy enough to discard once my value had decreased.
My thoughts turned dark as I suddenly recalled how my men’s demigod powers first appeared through contact with me. I’d been a necessary part of that awakening, but they probably no longer needed me to keep using these abilities. Marena claimed we all possessed an innate need to protect and stay close to each other, butIseemed to be the one who attracted the danger we needed protection from.
What if my Riders decide they’re better off without me?
“Ya…we are in need of your highly specialized witchy woo, Cass,” Tan interrupted my thoughts, chuckling into the satellite phone pressed against his ear. The men had decided theyallneeded phones before our journey and I obliged, although I found the devices extremely irritating.
“Well, I’d prefer to wait until we see you to explain more…” Tan abruptly stopped and I heard a woman speaking rapidly on the other end. “All right. Her name is Vasi…yes…yes, Asa’s still with me. They both are. Weallare. What do youmean,you already know? Cass? ‘Ello?!”
Tan tossed the phone onto the bed and ran his hand down his face in exasperation. “She said she’dprefer to wait until we got there to explain more,and then she fucking hung up on me. Classic Savage Cass.”
“When are we seeing your mother, suge?” Asa murmured from where he was propped up on my other side, absently trailing a fingertip along my bare stomach, his eyes fixed on Tan’s gleaming white horns with unbridled hunger.
“As soon as Cass tells us where she’s hiding her, since Anthia's note simply had the address of the emporium,” Tan replied, before narrowing his eyes at the other man. “But when wedofind mum, I expect you tonotask her to bring out the photo albums again. Vasi doesn’t need to see my tiny baby nob bobbing in the bath.”
I laughed as Asa winked at me. “I’ll try my best,” he smirked before sobering. “There are some…other things I want to talk to her about while we’re there.”
“Same,” Tan snapped, the venom in his tone surprising but seemingly not aimed at us. “But I also have a sneaking suspicion Cass may know a thing or two aboutthatas well.”
It was my turn to narrow my eyes. “What are you both referring to?”
